Vehicle for recreation or amusement.



PATENTED NOV. 19, 1907.

T.-W. POTTS. VEHICLE FOR RECREATION -OR AMUSEMENT.

APiLICATIoN FILED JUNE 1'7, 1907.

RS cm, WASHINGYOH, o. c,

THOMAS WILLIAM POTTS, OF FULHAM, LONDON, ENGLAND.

VEHICLE FOR RECREATION OR AMUSEMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

- Patented Nov. 19, 1907.

Application filed June 17, 1907. Serial No. 379.442.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that THOMAS WILLIAM Por'rs, a subject of the Kingdom ofGreat Britain and Ireland, residing at 30 Chesilton road, Fulham, in thecounty of London, England, has invented certain new and. useful Improvements in Vehicles for Recreation or Amusement; and he does herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention for improvements in vehicles for recreation or amusementrelates to vehicles for use on Switchback or other recreation railwaysor tracks, wherein seats, horses, or the like are connected to thetraveling wheels by means of coupled. crank axles in such a manner thata rising and falling motion is imparted to the seat, horse, or the like,which is mounted on the crank axles as the vehicle is propelled; andconsists in operatively connecting the seat with the traveling wheels insuch manner that the movement of the vehicle may be accelerated by theexertions of the riders.

In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a recreation vehicle constructed according to thisinvention, Fig. 2 is a sectional plan of the same, and Fig. 3 is adetail side elevation showing a slightly modified form of propellingear.

in one way of carrying out this invention, a suitable frame a is mountedon four wheels connected in pairs by crank axles 1) adapted to rotatewith the wheels, and supporting a movable connecting rod or support 0 onwhich the horse or the like is fixed by means of suitable supportingrods or bars (Z adapted to move in slots 6 in a foot board or the likefixed-on the underlraniing. There is preferably a support 0 for eachcrank and the inner ends of the supports from the two crank shafts b areconnected with a crank shaft 0 journaled at the center of the frame.

A chain Wheelf and cranks g are mounted in the framing in a suitableposition under each horse and is connected by a chain 71 belt or thelike with a freewheel or like device i carried on one of the crankaxles, and is operated by means of a connecting rod j and plunger 7rattached to a movable saddle l.

The plunger passes up into the body of the horse and through an enlargedspace or recess m formed therein for the reception of springs n whichserve to raise the saddle and return the chain wheel f and cranks g toan operative position after each depression.

The stirrups are attached to the body of the horse so that the rider canby standing lift his weight from the saddle as is usual in horse ridingto assist in the propulsion of the vehicle at will.

In the arrangement of gear shown in Fig. 3 instead of the connecting rodj a rack 0 is employed which engages with the gear wheel p. Attached toone side of the wheel p is a ratchet wheel g which by means of asuitable pawl '1" operates the chain Wheel 8 when the rack is depressedbut allows it to return to its normal position under the tension of thesaddle springs on its return stroke. The gravity tracks to which thesevehicles are applied may preferably be arranged in duplicate and two ormore horses may be mounted on each vehicle, when it will be easily seenthat the speed of the respective vehicles may be increased by either ofthe riders.

What 1 claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a vehicleof the class described, a wheeled frame provided with a crank axle, asupport connected with said crank, a horse mounted on the supportprovided with a movable seat, and driving mechanism for propelling thevehicle when the horse and saddle are actuated.

2. In a vehicle of the class described, a wheeled frame provided with acrank axle, a support connected with said crank, a horse on the supportprovided with a recess, springs in said recess, a seat on said springs,and driving mechanism connected with the saddle and with said axle forpropelling the vehicle when the horse and saddle are actuatc 3. In avehicle of the class described, a wheeled frame provided with a crankaxle, a chain wheel on the axle and a support connected with the crank,a horse on the support provided with stirrups and a plunger, a shaft inthe frame under the horse provided with a crank and a chain wheel, achain on said chain wheels, and a connecting rod from said crank to theplunger.

4. In a vehicle of the class described, a l means for propelling thevehicle forward wheeled frame provided With a crank at its. when thehorse and saddle are actuated. 10 ends for said wheels and a crank atthe mid- In testimony whereof he has affixed his sigdle, supportsconnected at their ends with nature, in presence of two witnesses. saidcranks, a slotted foot board in the frame, THOMAS WILLIAM POTTS. pairsof rods from each support through said Witnesses:

slots, a horse on each pair of supports, a ver SHURMER SIBSHORP, ticallymovable saddle on each horse, and DAISY LILIAN SYMMONS.

